• couch - to formulate in a particular style or language
• irascible - easily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable
• shirking - the evasion of work or duty
• diffident - showing modest reserve
• obsequious - attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
• humdrum - not challenging; dull and lacking excitement

The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov

Short story: The Bicentennial Man

The following are from my own research, writing, and notes to use more often:

• pert - (of a person) attractive; (comparative perter/superlative pertest)
• pudic - easily shamed; having a strong sense of shame; modest; chaste (anagram cupid)
• pudendum - usually plural - pudenda - human external genital organs collectively especially of a female
• saucy - alt sassy - bold and spirited; somewhat sexy and provocative
• sibilate - to speak with a hissing sound
• scritch - to make a small scratching sound like a small animal boroughing
• cantankerous - given to or marked by an ill-tempered quarrelsome nature
• crotchety - cranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies
• temerity - reckless boldness; foolish bravery
• affront - to insult intentionally; to meet defiantly
• effrontery - an act of insolent and shameless audacity
• chutzpah - nearly arrogant courage; exaggerated self-opinion
• captious - tending to find and call attention to faults unreasonably, petty
• cavil - to criticize for petty or frivolous reasons
• pettifogger - one who quibbles over trivia and raises petty annoying objections; unethical lawyer of lesser skill
• shyster - someone disreputable especially a lawyer; to act disreputable; to exploit someone in this way